Kitbasher's blog: Too many ideas, not enough time.....

[kitbasher]

I was a brave boy today, started putting together my Gannet Models EE P.8.  Had already removed the parts from their runners and had started gently rubbing down some of the parts but this afternoon I had the nerve to commit some modelling.  I won't even begin to put together a build thread akin to The Wooksta! - Lee is covering the EE P.8 topic in great detail and the  various P.8 threads are being great helps in terms of my build.

Most of the fuselage is now together and curing.  I'm departing from the basic kit by means of some resin parts kindly supplied by Lee - these will enable me to build my take on an 'in service' aircraft.  To that end I've removed the fin/rudder, which will be replaced by a square-topped item associated with Lightning F2A/F3/T5/F6 and export equivalents.  It'll get a belly tank and right now I think it'll have 4 Red Tops.

Just need to think of a name!  I don't see it as a Lightning, maybe a Super Lightning?  Dunno.

Anyway, it won't be ready for Telford - pre-Telford modelling ends on Sunday due to a trip to see family in Sweden.  Hoping to get a second visit to Aeroseum in while I'm there.

Speaking of Telford, I'm resisting the lure of kits.  Well, OK there's two I'm after from a well known dealer in pre-loved plastic that'll set me back £8.  And there's an order going into Hannants in the next few days for paints, etc, but not a kit.  What I'd really, really like is an Airfix 1/72 Canberra B(I)8 but blimey they all seem to have left the planet.

I've some items that would ordinarily have been going to the kitswap but with that cancelled I'll post up a sales list in the next few days for collection at the show.  A very primitive 'click and collect', I guess!

Oh yeah, if you spot the poll at the top of the page don't worry.  Was trying to test drive the Recce GB Poll without actually setting up a new Recce GB thread - and now try as I might I can't get rid of the thing!

[Pellson]

Welcome. 

[The Wooksta!]

Dave, do a build thread anyway.  Always worth having another point of view and I can advise along the way.

I'm calling it the Lightning.  All the contracts for Lightning up to the end of F2 production were in by late '57.  If the Air Staff had had their way and the Treasury had ponied up the wadge, there would have been at least one prototype P8 built.  The advantages of the wet wing would have been seen, plus the added potential for additional hardpoints under said wing, so it's likely that contracts for P8 would have been placed instead of Lightning F3 and F6.  With an ITP in '58(?), I'd think production ones would be available from late 64 at the latest, just around the time the first F3s were rolling out OTL. So any serials issued for those, plus squadron users, are fair game.  I'd also imagine that with a more formidable Lightning, there'd be no need for Phantom - woohoo! - so serials for the RAF ones and users transfer to P8.

Beamont was adamant that it would have needed more vision from the cockpit and a larger tail, so those developments are a given.  Larger belly tank?  Maybe, but underwing slippers or drop tanks are more likely, plus a properly designed and fitted IFR that was designed but never used by Lightning.

[kitbasher]

Thanks for the handy points regarding the possible way forward with the P8, Lee (and '[if they] had ponied up the wadge' doesn't quite break Google Translate, but some funny results!).  As for a build thread, I'll think about it.

The wet wing point I fully agree with, ditto the big fin and the canopy (which seems a common feature of many 1950s UK fighter designs).  The shape of the kit's canopy lends itself to careful sanding to create a bubbletop finish (is this why you're after a Sabre canopy, I wonder??) - whether I can get it clear enough and want to detail the cockpit I don't yet know - am tempted to cut myself some slack and leave it with a solid cockpit.   

At the moment I'm looking to add an extra two Red Tops on underwing pylons.  Moving the u/c to the fuselage does very much open up the option of wing mounted drop tanks - slipper tanks I don't know, pylons would make more sense and would present greater flexibility.  Belly tank is such a Lightning feature that to me it just has to stay with the P8.  Personal preference/prejudice, no science, it's happening!  But yes, wet wing, drop tanks tanks plus AAR would appear to reduce/eliminate the need for a bigger belly tank.

As for the Phantom not entering RAF service, I think it still would have done, but perhaps not in the air defence role.  Or rather not in such numbers - FG1s only - so a reversal of the real world Phantom force + Lightning cadre, perhaps.

[The Wooksta!]

I don't think you can go full bubble on the P8 - certainly take off some of the framing and make the solid section more clear - but there's a bulkhead behind the pilot and the avionics are in a bay behind it.  Check the drawings in the Dan Sharp bookazine on the F.155 competitors as there's a fair few drawings of the type.

As for slipper tanks.  English Electric did wind tunnel test them for Lightning (Tony Wilson book) and they seem to be very in vogue with UK aircraft companies at the time.  Means you can get another missile pylon on the wing?  Supermarine 545 was to have had two Firestreaks on pylons under the wings plus slipper tanks.

I actually wanted the Sabre canopy for the P.1B Rapier, thinking I could use the bubble rear with a Lightning windscreen.  As it is, I managed to get something even better from Uncle Frank (actually two if I decide to do another one, which I may well do).  Just sprayed it's DSG coat.

[kitbasher]

Good P8 bulkhead call, will check the Sharp book for the detail.  Have the Mason book and have always thought the slipper tanks looked weird.  They seemed to work on the Gnat and the Buccaneer, though.

[Pellson]

...have always thought the slipper tanks looked weird.  They seemed to work on the Gnat and the Buccaneer, though.

Aerodynamically, slippers are lower drag than pylon mounted drop tanks. The drawbacks are somewhat greater flexibility with pylons and dropper, but more importantly that you can't jettison a slipper when airborne without significant risk for airframe damage. No biggie for a strike or recon aircraft, but less than optimal if you plan for dogfight.

Looking much forward to see your build, so I'm very much for the build thread. 

[NARSES2]

Oh yeah, if you spot the poll at the top of the page don't worry.  Was trying to test drive the Recce GB Poll without actually setting up a new Recce GB thread - and now try as I might I can't get rid of the thing!

Done

[kitbasher]

Many thanks, Chris.

[kitbasher]

Aaah, T5.  It's good to be back.

[The Wooksta!]

Lightning T5?  I was overjoyed yesterday when I found that the Sword T4/T5 kit had the large blue Lion of the Lightning Training Flight, so I may have to invest in a few more of them.  Decals I want plus a free kit?  Magic!

TBH, it's not really a T4 - it comes with both fins but the fuselage is moulded with the longer cable ducts for the T5, so they need shortening for a T4.

[kitbasher]

Still plodding on with the 'shelf queen' part builds, although I am now dangerously close to finishing two - possibly three - of them.  Not this side of Christmas, though.  Which reminds me, by the end of this week Plague Year 2 will have officially begun its slow, foot-dragging conclusion and then Hooray! it's Plague Year 3.

Maybe a bit premature but what's to look back on?  Well I never started the Spitfire and Shackleton as promised at the start of the year, but I did get a two or three part-builds finally finished.  Did my best not to increase the stash by too much; I think I managed to offset most of the purchases with sales of unwanted kits, so net increase is minimal.  Same approach next year, methinks.

It was good to get to a show at long last.  No Milton Keynes, a shame Elstree was cancelled but thankfully Scale Model World happened again this year.  Good to meet up with The Usual Suspects and talk plastic but subsequently tinged with sadness with the loss of Mike McEvoy a few weeks later. 

So plans for Plague Year 3?  More of the same: finish off more part builds, focus on a theme that gained ground in my head this year, try not to be distracted by flash-in-the-pan modelling urges, hope the right GBs run in 2022-2023, get that Spit and Shack done.

Predictions for Plague Year 3?  Airfix announce new 1/72 Lysander, Sea Hawk and Javelin kits.  Freightdog goes from strength to strength.  More Gannet F.155T subjects are released.  Sadly, though, I fear my LHS will close after 45 years of trading.  First shopped there in the early/mid 1980s so it'll be a huge loss.  To be fair, the owner has not been well of late, he's in his mid-70s and tbh deserves a long and happy retirement.

So no modelling resolutions for the new year, just a high-level plan.  Oh, and within that I'll be majoring on those builds that forumites have generously helped me out with by means of spare parts and decals for which I am very grateful - it would be extremely rude of me not to get them done.

[kitbasher]

Still plodding on with the 'shelf queen' part builds, although I am now dangerously close to finishing two - possibly three - of them.  Not this side of Christmas, though.  Which reminds me, by the end of this week Plague Year 2 will have officially begun its slow, foot-dragging conclusion and then Hooray! it's Plague Year 3.

Maybe a bit premature but what's to look back on?  Well I never started the Spitfire and Shackleton as promised at the start of the year, but I did get a two or three part-builds finally finished.  Did my best not to increase the stash by too much; I think I managed to offset most of the purchases with sales of unwanted kits, so net increase is minimal.  Same approach next year, methinks.

It was good to get to a show at long last.  No Milton Keynes, a shame Elstree was cancelled but thankfully Scale Model World happened again this year.  Good to meet up with The Usual Suspects and talk plastic but subsequently tinged with sadness with the loss of Mike McEvoy a few weeks later. 

So plans for Plague Year 3?  More of the same: finish off more part builds, focus on a theme that gained ground in my head this year, try not to be distracted by flash-in-the-pan modelling urges, hope the right GBs run in 2022-2023, get that Spit and Shack done.

Predictions for Plague Year 3?  Airfix announce new 1/72 Lysander, Sea Hawk and Javelin kits.  Freightdog goes from strength to strength.  More Gannet F.155T subjects are released.  Sadly, though, I fear my LHS will close after 45 years of trading.  First shopped there in the early/mid 1980s so it'll be a huge loss.  To be fair, the owner has not been well of late, he's in his mid-70s and tbh deserves a long and happy retirement.

So no modelling resolutions for the new year, just a high-level plan.  Oh, and within that I'll be majoring on those builds that forumites have generously helped me out with by means of spare parts and decals for which I am very grateful - it would be extremely rude of me not to get them done.

Suddenly it's three months later and what's happened since then?  Well in what everyone will agree has been a bit of a slow news week I've got one of the 'shelf queens' close to completion, made an inroad into the theme mentioned above and done a bit of model recycling.  Airfix predictions were less than spot on (2023 releases, natch), new Freightdog releases have been announced, ditto Gannet F.155T stuff.  LHS still there, thankfully.

[kitbasher]

Apologies to Alistair Gannet for not yet posting pics of the fully complete Gannet Scale Models DH117.  Test build was finished some weeks ago but some touching up of paint was needed here and there and the proper weapons fit needed sorting out.  Alistair has beauty pics of the 'interim' finish (see https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=49590.msg951612#msg951612).  Here's a pic with Red Tops attached.




The so-called 'real world' got in the way of progress but finally got to work on the PP Aeroparts Firestreaks (been in the stash for eons!) recently set aside for the 117, was reminded why I don't like etched brass, but after spending an hour or so prepping and then attaching a mere 16 fiddly parts was happy enough with the finished product.  Superglue curing overnight and they'll get painted and fitted next week.

I bought a Gannet EE P.8 some time ago and was a little afraid of it - worried I'd bodge it up - but the DH117 experience has pretty much exorcised that demon and I'll be pressing on with that build in the very near future.

focus on a theme that gained ground in my head this year

So with a DH117 essentially done and playing catch-up with the P.8, said theme is Specification F.155T.  Not the only one inspired to build designs developed to meet that spec, won't be the last.  More to follow.

Meanwhile off to the National Archives in Kew to delve into some family history World War 1- and 2-related documents.  First time there, really looking forward ton it.

[NARSES2]

Looks good Dave 

Meanwhile off to the National Archives in Kew to delve into some family history World War 1- and 2-related documents.  First time there, really looking forward ton it.

Spent some time there a couple of years ago helping a mate do some research on his Grandfather's regiment's service in WWI. He was a regular in the RGA (Heavy Artillery) and we spent a day going through his batteries War Diaries. Absolutely fascinating and a brilliant place